The first major event of the Diamond Wedding celebrations will be a dinner at Clarence House tonight hosted by the Prince of Wales,followed tomorrow by the Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey.

For an overview of both events, here is a link provided by milla Ca in the 'Lead-up' thread:

Our hosts are TRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall. Joining us:

Guests of Honor Her Majesty The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh....

Along with:
TRH....
Prince William, Prince Harry.....
The Duke of York, The Earl and Countess of Wessex, The Princess Royal and Vice-Admiral Timothy Laurence;
Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly, Zara Phillips, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie;
Viscount and Viscountess Linley; Daniel and Lady Sarah Chatto;
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester; The Duke of Kent; Princess Alexandra, the Hon. Lady Ogilvy; Prince and Princess Michael of Kent

Service of Celebration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey - Monday 19 November 2007
* Dr. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury will lead the Blessing.
* Dame Judi Dench will read a poem by the Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion.
* HRH Prince William will deliver a reading from the Bible, 1 John 4: 7-16.

People invited to the service include:

* The entire Royal Family
* Prime Minister Gordon Brown
* Former Prime Minister Lady Thatcher
* Former Prime Minister Sir John Major
* Some 500 members of Royal Household staff, past and present
* HM's former private secretary Lord (Robin) and Lady (Isabelle) Janvrin
* The schoolboy choristers who sang as the Royal Wedding: Graham Lack, Peter Kirkby, David Weait, Michael Warner, Robert Turner (and others; but these five will carry candles in the procession)
* From the 1947 bridal party: The Hon. Margaret Rhodes (born Elphinstone); Princess Alexandra, the Hon. Lady Ogilvy; Prince Michael of Kent; Lady Elizabeth Longman (born Lambart)
* Betty Foster, a seamstress of HM's Wedding Dress
* Something like 20 other British couples who married on the same day and so are celebrating their diamond anniversary too
* Her Majesty's Godchildren (sadly this means that the Earl Spencer will be there; see full list)
* HRH The Duke's niece, Grand Duchess Princess Margarita of Baden
* The Margrave and Margravine of Baden
* Prince and Princess Ludwig of Baden
* The Aga Khan
* Sir David Attenborough
* Ex-King Constantine (Konstantinos) and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece

The total head count: About 2,000 people expected

Following the Service, HM and HRH will unveil a new Jubilee Walkway panoramic panel in Parliament Square.

Malta - Tuesday, 20 November 2007 (the actual anniversary)
* At Barrakka Gardens, HM and HRH will meet 30 randomly selected couples who also married in 1947; they will be greeted there by Prime Minister Gonzi and will plant a tree and unveil a special plaque that will reference the anniversary.
This will be a private visit for HM and HRH before going on to Uganda for CHOGM on the following day.

Wonderful photos christinacg! The entire family looks very happy! So glad we have a group photo! Her Majesty looks breathtaking as usual. Great to see the members of the family whom we only get to glimpse at special occassions such as this.

The group photos from the CH dinner are perfect, except for surprising absence.... no Duchess of Kent there.... very cool, however, to see Autumn Kelly there, and the best one of all is The Queen and The Duke with their children. I can't remember us having a photo like that for a very long time, just The Queen, the Duke and their four children. Maybe there was one at the Golden anniversary, though.... I just don't remember it.

nice to see the extended family all in one pic....I wonder if we will get any close up shots at the royal ladies...I sort of want to see Autumn Kelly's dress.......it is also mentioned in one of the article that Autumn Kelly and Peter Phillips are due to marry in Windsor Castle next year?? is that confirmed ???

Thank you for posting the pics from yesterday evening and all the aricles!
The family pics are great, i always love to see the whole Royal Family together.

__________________´We will all have to account for our actions to our children and grand-children, and if we don´t get this right, how will they ever forgive us?´Prince Charles in a speech, 6th December 2006

What great photos! Especially the one of the Queen and Philip with the whole family, lovely

It appears princess Beatrice has some suitable evening clothes after all!

__________________'To dare is to lose one step for but a moment, not to dare is to lose oneself forever' - Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark in a letter to Miss Mary Donaldson as stated by them on their official engagement interview.

the official portraits are great! i loved the complete family portrait. her majesty looks delightful and so does princess anne.... elegant as ever. gorgeous blue dress for eugenie as well! the colour does really suit her.

i wonder if there will be any activities with foreign royals at all, as they do in other royal houses?

Those are wonderful pictures. I know we are all mortal but I wish this couple well and many more years to come together. They are so special and great ambassadors for the monarchy. God save the Queen (and the Duke)